


Peter Hates Having His Tummy Touched

by therumandcokediaries



Series: Frostiron and Spiderson [17]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Family, Gen, Hospital, Hurt/Comfort, IronDad and SpiderSon, Medical, Mild Injury, Parent Loki (Marvel), Parent Tony Stark, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, discomfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-02-23 07:36:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23008003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/therumandcokediaries/pseuds/therumandcokediaries
Summary: Peter hates having his tummy touched. One day when he’s landed in hospital, the doctor seeing to him wants to do an ultrasound. But that means, according to google, 15-45 minutes of constant tummy touching. And Peter isn’t happy about that.
Relationships: Loki & Peter Parker, Loki/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Frostiron and Spiderson [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1192111
Kudos: 68





	Peter Hates Having His Tummy Touched

**Author's Note:**

> This was written in about an hour so it’s not the best. Might write another little fic of the same theme at some point in the future.   
> Hope you like it anyway!  
> I'm also open to oneshot ideas for this AU, so if you have anything, and situations/scenarios you'd like to see, please feel free to comment below with your suggestions!
> 
> I may one day add another chapter to this work with a different scenario focusing on the same theme/issue
> 
> As always, questions and comments welcome x

-

Peter huddled down at the head of the bed, trying to make himself look as small as possible. There was no way he was letting that doctor anywhere near him. He was a small-ish man, but he looked very stern, and Peter didn’t much like the look of him.

The off-duty paramedic had been different. He’d been reassuring. Peter had let him near enough to put a few rough dressings on his wounds and clear his neck at the scene. He grabbed his wrist to stop him when he tried to call an ambulance for him, though. This paramedic seemed new, and he wasn’t one that Peter had met before. But he was understanding and kind, and Peter let him bundle him into his car, drive him to the hospital, and hand him over to the A&E staff.

He’d been a bit funny with the nurses, so they struggled a little in triage. He was dizzy and confused, wouldn’t let them look him over properly, and refused a blood test - but he did let them stick electrodes on him and hook him up to a monitor. And then he was moved to cubicles, and the curtains were pulled round, and now there was this doctor. And Peter didn’t like him one bit.

“Come on now, son; stop being so silly” the doctor said. “You’re obviously in pain, and you’ve got blood all over your face and arms. Let me take a look at you”

 _No way_ , Peter thought. _Especially not on my own. I want my dads._

“Can’t you give us a name, at least? Something to work with?”

It was strange. None of the staff that knew him seemed to be about, so it felt like he was somewhere different altogether. He didn’t say a word. The doctor sighed, going over to the whiteboard by the bed and getting out a board pen. Peter knew how this bit worked: a randomly generated name, 1st January and the suspected year of birth, sex, and a random serial number with the hospital code. Peter didn’t want to talk to this doctor, but he didn’t especially want to be noted down as Unknown Patient, albeit in a less obvious way.

Peter took his phone out, opened a page, and held it out to the doctor. The doctor quickly took it from him. He looked at the screen, opened to a contact labelled; ‘daddy’.

“Thank you. Good boy” The doctor said, and he pressed the call button.

The phone was answered within the first five rings.

“Peter, sweetheart, I’m still at work” the voice on the end of the line said.

The doctor looked surprised. “Loki?”

“Dr Sherman?” There was a pause. “Are you with Peter? Is he ok?!”

“He’s had an accident, and he’s not letting anyone examine him. He just handed me his phone with your contact. I think he wants you”

“I’ll be with you in five minutes”

The call ended. Dr Sherman set the mobile down beside Peter on the bed. Peter left it there.

“He’ll be here soon” Dr Sherman said. He noticed the way Peter was huddled up. “…Is your stomach hurting? You look uncomfortable”

He went to touch him, and Peter whined and turned away, curling up tighter against the pillow.

“Alright” he sighed. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. See if you can relax a little while I’m gone”

Peter couldn’t relax. He _was_ in pain, and he was nervous and just a little bit confused. And he wanted his daddy. He didn’t care how silly he was being: he knew he didn’t want Dr Sherman touching him, and he was sticking to that.

-

Dr Sherman made Peter jump when he came back.

“Alright, don’t hurt yourself”

There were hurried footsteps, and all in an instant, Loki was with them.

“Peter!” Loki threw his arms around the boy. “Oh sweetheart, what have you done now?”

Peter held onto his father for dear life, but didn’t say anything.

“I didn’t realise he was your son” Dr Sherman said, getting out a pen for the whiteboard again. 

“He’s Peter Parker-Stark. Hyphenated” Loki said. “He’s fifteen”

Dr Sherman filled in the board, and put the marker away. A nurse joined them in the cubicle, a clipboard over her arm. She looked young, and Loki had never seen her before. He nodded politely at her.

“He hasn’t let anyone look at him” Dr Sherman said. “Is there any medical history we should know about?”

“Nothing relevant. He’s not on any medication. Oh, he’s allergic to… Ah, sorry, I can’t remember what it’s called at the moment. It’s a rarely-used type of antibiotic. It’s in his notes. Other than that… Oh, he’s got selective mutism. So he might not speak to you”

“I see. Thank you; you’ve been most helpful”

Loki kissed Peter hard on the cheek. “…How did he get here? Was it an ambulance?”

“An off-duty paramedic brought him in. They must have had more luck with him, as that’s where those rough dressings are from. He was off with the triage nurses too, I’m told”

“I think he’s just scared. He’s not being rude or anything like that” Loki said, kissing the top of Peter’s head. “We need to have a look at you, chick”

Peter went a little panicky - as was evident by the loud, fast beeping of the heart monitor.

“Hey, hey! Shh, don’t start. Shhh!” Loki gave him a little cuddle, and soon his heart rate fell and he started to calm down. “There now. You remember what I taught you about primary and secondary surveys?”

Peter nodded slightly.

“Well, now it’s time for Dr Sherman and the nurse here to do theirs”

Loki kept one arm behind the boys back, slipped the other arm under his knees, lifted him up, and plonked him down on his back in the middle of the bed, so he lay flat. Peter looked a little shocked, but he didn’t struggle or try to curl in on himself again. He blinked up at the bright lights above, and looked at Loki.

“There, you’re alright. You stay still and let yourself be checked over. I’ll hold your hand” 

Loki nodded at Dr Sherman, who cleared his throat and stepped forwards.

“Ok, Peter, I’m going to check you over. If anything hurts, let me know. Let’s start with that forehead cut”

Dr Sherman peeled back the dressing, causing the wound to bleed again. 

“That’s rather nasty” He looked back at the nurse. “His admission page mentions confusion and dizziness. I’d like to order a head CT, just to be safe”

He put the dressing back, checked the rest of Peter’s head, and pulled out a pen torch. Peter squirmed and pushed his hand away. 

“Oh dear”

“I think you just surprised him” Loki said. “I don’t think it’s aversion to light”

“Well”

“Mind if I try?” Loki said, taking his own pen torch out.

“Be my guest”

“I’m just going to check your eyes, Peter” Loki said. “You know what to do”

Loki had practised on Peter hundreds of times, so Peter knew he was in good hands. He tried to keep looking at the same spot, but he didn’t like the feeling of being watched, and couldn’t help looking around.

“Peter, stop moving your eyes”

Peter stopped, fixing his gaze on Loki’s nose.

“…Equal and reactive” Loki said, stepping back. 

“Thank you” Dr Sherman said. “I’m going to continue checking you over now, Peter”

Peter didn’t struggle. He listened to the doctor mumbling about cut elbows and abrasions. Dr Sherman moved on to his chest and sides, and Peter startled and squeezed his eyes shut.

“Does that hurt?”

Peter nodded. Dr Sherman felt his ribs carefully.

“Best order a chest x-ray” he said to the nurse. 

“You’re alright, chick” Loki said, looking him in the eye. “Halfway there, ok?”

Peter nodded slightly, looking up at his father. They kept looking at each other. Dr Sherman kept checking him over, and Peter startled and squirmed when he started prodding his stomach.

“Did that hurt?”

Peter looked at the doctor, but didn’t say anything. Loki looked at him too.

“Was that his stomach?”

“Yes”

“That wasn’t pain”

“Loki-”

“Believe me, it wasn’t pain” Loki said. “He hates having his stomach touched”

“I see” Dr Sherman said. “Well, I still need to check you over, Peter. Just hold still for me”

Peter whimpered and pushed his hands away. 

“Peter, you need to hold still for the doctor” Loki said. 

“I’m not convinced” Dr Sherman said. “I’m just going to lift your shirt up”

Peter tried to stay still, but the cold air against his skin made him shudder. 

“Has he always been this thin?”

“Well, he’s lost some weight recently. He’s been a bit under the weather, and it’s affected his appetite”

“I see. And these bruises on his hips?” Dr Sherman inspected them. “These look at least a few days old”

Loki looked at Peter. “Was that the pool, or the stairs? The pool?” Loki nodded and looked at Dr Sherman. “He had a bit of a tumble in the swimming pool. He was trying his luck climbing some of the rocks”

“I see. Is he usually quite accident prone?”

“A little bit, I suppose” Loki said. “No more than any other boy his age. Well, maybe just a little”

“I see” Dr Sherman said, prodding Peter’s stomach again. 

Loki held the boys hands so he couldn’t push the doctor away, but Peter still whined and squirmed and tried to struggle away and turn onto his side.

“No, sweetheart” Loki said, pushing him back onto his back and holding him down with a hand to the hip. 

Dr Sherman finished examining the boys abdomen, and straightened up, sucking his breath.

“I’m not convinced he’s not in pain. I’m concerned something may be going on here” he said. “Has he always had this aversion to touch there?”

“Well, as far as I know” Loki said. “I’ve never really thought much of it. Just one of those things”

“I’d like to take a closer look. I’m going to order an ultrasound” he nodded at the nurse. “Ok?”

Dr Sherman checked Peter over, not finding anything else untoward. He listened to the boys chest and did some other observations, and scribbled on his chart.

“We’ll get you sent off for your scans, and then we’ll do the ultrasound here. I’ll see you both in a little while”

“Thank you, Doctor”

-

Peter wouldn’t say a word, which worried Loki. Peter squirmed a little when the nurse came back to dress his wounds, but still didn’t say a word. Luckily he didn’t need stitches, much to everyone’s relief. Loki got talking to the nurse while she worked away.

“I don’t think we’ve met”

“I’m new to this hospital” she said. “I only started last week”

“Oh, I see! Is this your first rotation?”

“Second” she said. “I’ve heard a lot about you since I’ve been here. Everyone seems to know you”

“Oh yes, you’ll find that a lot. Mostly it’s just people being nosy. It’s only the people on my ward, and certain people down here that really know me - for various reasons. How are you finding it?”

“Busy. It’s very different to my last rotation. But it’s good. I’m still quite shy about it, though”

“You’ll get used to it in no time”

Peter’s CT scan and x-ray were uneventful, quiet affairs. They’d just returned from radiology when Loki heard a familiar frenzied voice. 

“I’ll just be a moment, chick”

Loki slipped through the curtain and went and cornered his husband.

“Loki! Where is he? Is he ok?!”

“Of course he is! I said that on the phone” Loki said. “Calm down, darling. We’ve just come back from the scan. We should get the results soon”

“I need to see him. Where is he?”

“He’s just over here”

Loki took him back to Peter’s cubicle.

“What have you been up to, you silly thing?” Tony said, gathering the boy up in his arms and giving him a big hug. “You really need to be more careful. God, my heart’s still thumping! How’s your head? Does it hurt? Where were you? I thought you were staying in today. Did-”

“Tony, don’t pester him” Loki said. “He needs a bit of calm”

Tony let go of Peter, straightening up and nodding. “Sorry. I just got so worried when you rang”

“He’s been in much worse scrapes that this” Loki said. “He’ll be fine”

-

Tony soon got worried about Peter’s silence. It wasn’t unusual for Peter to not talk to strangers, but it was incredibly unusual for him not to talk to his parents.

“What if something _is_ wrong?” Tony said, lowering his voice. “What if he’s in shock or something?”

“You’re worrying too much” Loki said quietly. “He’s fine”

Just then, Dr Sherman and the nurse came back, wheeling an ultrasound machine into the cubicle. Peter looked up all of a sudden, and slowly sat up, looking at the machine as though it were a man-eating shark.

“Ah, Mr Stark, I didn’t realise you’d arrived” Dr Sherman said, shaking his hand. “I’m Dr Sherman, and this is nurse Ellul. We’ve been looking after your son”

“Oh, hi. Thank you. Uh, why the machine?”

“I’m concerned about Peter’s stomach, and I’d like to take a closer look”

Peter curled up against the pillow while the grown ups talked. He didn’t feel too well, and his tummy was squeezing horribly. It hurt rather a lot. He couldn’t help reacting - and that drew attention to him.

“Is your stomach hurting?” Dr Sherman asked.

Peter shook his head, but it was obvious he wasn’t being truthful. Tony looked at Loki.

“Well… We never thought anything of it. Maybe there _is_ something going on. it wouldn’t hurt to check. I guess…”

“I’m not so sure” Loki said, looking at Peter’s heart monitor. “He’s scared already”

“It’s just an ultrasound. I know you’re familiar with them. It’s better to be safe than sorry, don’t you agree?” Dr Sherman said. He looked at Peter “Lay down for me now”

“No”

Hearing his voice surprised everyone, and there was a short pause.

“Peter, sweetheart, it’s not so bad. Maybe it won’t make you feel so funny, because it’s a probe and not someones hand?” Tony tried.

Peter shook his head. “Don’t want to”

“You need to”

“No! I don’t wanna be touched! Why is that suddenly a crime?!”

“Don’t shout, Peter” Loki said. “It’ll be over before you know it”

“That’s a lie! It said online that they can take up to forty-five minutes! Fifteen to forty-five minutes!”

“I think it’ll take less than fifteen minutes” Dr Sherman said. “Calm down now, and do as you’re told”

“Yeah, listen to the doctor, kid. You are being pretty silly now” Tony said. “We’ll pin you down if we have to”

“It’s not fair! I didn’t consent to this!”

Dr Sherman looked at Loki and Tony. “Perhaps we should give him a mild sedative to help him relax, since it’s making him so nervous”

“No way” Loki and Tony said. “We won’t do sedatives. Check his notes”

Dr Sherman blinked a bit, glancing at nurse Ellul. 

“I really do recommend this scan” he said. “Can you think of any way to calm him down?”

Tony shook his head slightly. “Sorry. I bet you’ve never had anyone make this much fuss over an ultrasound before!”

“Given what I’ve been told, I can understand his reluctance” Dr Sherman said.

Loki suddenly grabbed Peter under the arms from behind, picked him up, climbed onto the bed, and lay down flat, making Peter lay atop him. 

“Daddy, let go! I said no!”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but sometimes you have to do things that you don’t want to do. It’s for your own good, chick” he said. He looked at Dr Sherman. “I know this isn’t ideal, but you’ll be able to access his tummy this way, and I’ll keep him still”

“I don’t want to! He’s gonna hurt me”

“No, he isn’t” Loki said, holding both of Peter’s hands captive in one of his, and resting his other hand on Peter’s hip.

Peter knew he couldn’t escape from Loki easily, so he looked to Tony for help. Tony sighed and kissed him on the bridge of the nose.

“It’ll be over soon, pet” he said, resting a hand on his head. “Just try to stay calm”

Nurse Ellul turned the ultrasound machine on and opened the monitor.

“I’m just going to pull your shirt up, Peter, darling” she said, carefully doing so.

“Alright then, Peter” Dr Manning said, squeezing some gel onto the ultrasound probe. “You’re perfectly safe. This is going to feel a bit cold”

Peter squirmed when the probe touched his skin, but Loki held him still so he couldn’t move. The gel was uncomfortably cold, and the probe felt weird against his tummy. Peter squeezed his eyes shut and tried to calm down, but he couldn’t. He whimpered and tried hard to pull his hands free from his fathers grip. He could hear his heart monitor beeping, and he could feel the muscles in his stomach lurching and retracting as the probe dug into him. 

It seemed to be taking an age, and Peter rather thought that part of that was due to his own involuntary movements - a cruel irony, he thought. The lower part of his tummy still hurt, and the probe just made it worse. 

“Stop it! Dad, make him stop; I don’t like it!”

Tony rubbed his forehead with his thumb and stayed quiet. He hated seeing Peter so uncomfortable, but he hated the possibility he might have some hidden illness even more.

“You’re doing well, Peter” Dr Sherman said. “Are you in pain?”

“Yes!”

“It won’t be too much longer”

He was looking at the monitor, frowning. He continued moving the probe, exploring further. After what felt like hours, he removed the probe from Peter’s stomach.

“There, all done. Good boy” he said. 

Loki slackened his grip on Peter, who seemed relieved. Nurse Ellul wiped the gel from Peter’s abdomen, and Peter squirmed and whined and struggled.

“Ok, darling” she said. “There, all done”

Loki sat up, keeping Peter in his lap when he did so. He hadn’t been able to see the monitor from where he was, so he didn’t know how the scan had gone, technically.

“So, what’s the verdict?” Tony said, biting his thumb. “Is he ok?”

“I can’t see anything wrong” Dr Sherman said. “It all looks clear. I think your tummy ache may just be anxiety, Peter”

“Oh, thank god” Tony breathed out in relief. “So it really is just him being strange?”

“This aversion to touch, is it just strangers that spark it up?”

“Oh no, he won’t generally let us touch his stomach either” Loki said. “Here, I’ll prove it”

He shoved his hand up Peter’s shirt, and Peter squeaked and squirmed and pushed his hand away. 

“Don’t do that! You _know_ how I feel about it!”

As soon as he said it, Tony rested a hand on the boys stomach, and received a similar reaction.

“Sorry, chicken”

Loki gave him a hug and kissed him on the cheek. “Sorry, sweetheart”

“How funny. And he’s never had any illnesses relating to, or any major injuries to his stomach?”

“Well…”

Loki and Tony looked at each other, remembering the building site incident. 

“He’s had a few moderate injuries to his tummy, but he’d never liked us touching his tummy before then” Tony said. “I guess it’s just one of those things. Like how some people hate having their feet touched”

“Perhaps you’re right” Dr Sherman reached out and ruffled Peter’s hair, careful to avoid touching the cut on his forehead. “I’ll be back with your CT and x-ray results as soon as they come through”

-

Tony sat down on the bed, an arm round Peter.

“It’s incredible how much of a fuss your stomach has caused today, chick”

“I didn’t ask anyone to fuss”

“Well, maybe not. _You_ fussed, though”

Peter scowled at him. 

“What’s with the face?”

“Leave him alone, Tony” Loki said. “At least we know there’s nothing nasty going on in there now. Not that we’d considered it, but still”

Tony sighed. “Well, never mind. Let’s just hope your other results are clear too”

-

The CT scan came back clear, and, to everyone’s surprise, the x-ray showed that Peter’s ribs were not broken; only bruised. So, after a few more little checks, and a few scribbled signatures, they were allowed to take Peter home.

-

Peter was tucked up on the futon in the back room when they got home.

“Dads, I don’t need you making a fuss. I only ended up in hospital cos of all the blood and not speaking and stuff”

“You ended up in hospital because you got hurt” Tony said. “It’s a good job your father was nearly at the end of his shift, otherwise you would probably still be there”

“I’d’ve just made the doctor call you if daddy wasn’t available” Peter said. “Dads, I’m _fine_. I’ve had my painkillers, I’ve listened to the doctors and nurses advice. I’m fine”

“You’re silly, is what you are” Loki said. “You may think today was nothing, but you scared the hell out of us, ending up in A&E again. You need to be more careful”

“He needs supervising” Tony said. “Maybe we should get you an au pair”

“ _Now_ who’s being silly?” Peter said, but he grinned.

Tony ruffled his hair gently and kissed him on the cheek. 

“Well, I’m gonna go and get you something to eat” Loki said.

“And I’m gonna sit here with you” Tony said, sitting beside Peter and wrapping a blanket round his legs. “Let’s get you comfy and settled”

Loki smiled at them. “Try not to have any more falls while I’m gone”

*

*

*


End file.
